New Harvest Moon Announced for Wii U

Back in 1996 Natsume released Harvest Moon, a niche game that was about as niche as one could get, but 19 years later the farming sim series is still going strong, with yet another title being announced today. What makes this new title, Harvest Moon: Seed of Memories, noteworthy is that it marks the franchise’s first foray onto Wii U.

While this entry will once again feature the series’ tried and true set up and mechanics, there are of course a few new concepts at play. You’ll be tasked with revitalizing a farm as you grow crops, raise animals, forage in the wilderness, and even mine, all the while keeping up appearances at town festivals and courting one the town’s eligible bachelors or bachelorettes. What’s new, though, are the game’s namesake, the Seeds of Memories, special seeds that are “unlocked in many ways, such as giving a villager their favorite item, catching a giant fish, or by raising their first cow.” Whether these seeds will just be collectibles or serve some greater purpose remains to be seen.

As the series has grown over time, fans have also enjoyed seeing the roster of animals expand, and Seed of Memories continues that tradition, though not in a way many would have guessed. Instead of giving us something new to milk and/or shear, this game introduces a potential pet bobcat. Not surprisingly, the creature starts as a wild animal and will have to be tamed to turn into a loyal pet. I’m guessing these efforts to befriend the beast can’t go too awry, because I doubt Natsume wants to take the game in a more M rated direction.

Harvest Moon: Seeds of Memories is scheduled to be released sometime this winter, so expect more on this title in the coming months.